Figurehead
by Wings of Dark
Summary: “Come my captain, you have a story to tell.”


Elizabeth lay nestled in Jack's arms, basking in the warm of the moonlight outside. The curtains billowed and Elizabeth moved closer to Jack for warmth.

"Jack?" he sweet voice carried a note of tiredness and wondering.

He caressed her arms. "Yes love?"

"Why do you have a woman holding out a dove as your figurehead?"

"Well, a pretty lass is supposed to watch o'er the Pearl."

"But why a dove?"

"That is a story that takes time to tell."

Elizabeth drew a sheet around her naked form and climbed out of the bed. "Come my captain, you have a story to tell."

Jack shrugged on his scruffy shirt and pants, padding outside into the moonlight after Elizabeth. God, was she beautiful. She looked out onto the calm sea, the sheet fluttering in the wind. From somewhere an accordian played. Jack smiled, pulling his lover into his arms, looking out to sea.

"Once there was a man, a sailor in the Spanish fleet, who landed here. He had a dangerous gleam in his eye and a keen sword. Cortez was his name." Here, Jack's voice turned bitter. "The men who followed him, equally bloodthirsty, raped and pillaged as they saw fit. It was not long before the natives tried and hold Cortez off. He particularly wanted the gold contained within the temple built to the Aztec gods. The priests were no match to his flintlock pistol and sword. His men, greedy for the gold, carried the lot of it back to their ship berth."

"The cursed gold?"

"Wait, love, I am not finished yet." Jack continued. "The gold was not the only thing Cortez brought back. A girl that partic'ly caught his eye was brought back to his galleon, where he had his way with her. She stayed mute aboard the ship, locked away in the captain's quarters, along with the gold. She was a defiant lassie, and tried to escape, but Cortez always fished 'er out again. The lass refused to eat or sleep, only watching the western horizon. Cortez often taunted her that she would never see land again." Jack grew still for a moment.

Without turning round, Elizabeth caressed his cheek. "Do go on," she said softly.

"The weather grew quiet. No wind filled the sails, and the rats jumped ship. The crew began to talk amongst themselves. A suspicious lot, they were. The ship spun slowly in the doldrums. A terrible thing for ships, because sailors can do little to escape them, savvy? They floated for three days and three nights. Then, a storm that had been brewin' hit them hard. Two weeks later, the ship reached the port of Sanlucár, its sails in tatters, and a starving crew. Cortez had them in line with his right of rope and sword. Once there, they heaved the chest into the royal treasury, where it would be raided by common robbers not long after. The Aztec lass was taken to the courts, to be shown off and exhibited, as one would show a monkey off.

"They kept her locked in a room of Cortez's house, looking over the sea. They say she went mad, staring out at the sea day and night, eating nothing, wastin' away. People say a quetzal from beyond the Atlantic came to her, an' she whispered a curse to it before throwing herself from the window. The quetzal flew to the Aztec gods, cursed, and the gods bestowed upon the 832 pieces of gold a terrible, terrible curse." With this, Jack tightened his grip upon Elizabeth, whispering very improper things into her ear, sweeping her up in giggles.

"When Barbossa came upon the gold, he paid for a new figurehead, the amused him so, savvy? One of his many lovers modeled for the carpenter at Tortuga. The dog's dis'respect for the curse did nothing good fer 'im and his men. But, they already made me governer at that point." Elizabeth laughed as Jack's whiskers tickled her.

"Roping yourself turtle, with the twine taken from the hair on your back!" she replied laughing.

"Aye. Marooned there, good enough to be dead and fed to sea crabs. Company was much more pleasant the second time round."

"And really bad eggs!" Elizabeth swung around in Jack's arms. "We still have to teach the crew the same!"

"Yes love." Jack's smile grew bigger as a thought entered his head. "Remember what we did on that island love?" He whispered many things a proper governer's daughter wouldn't dream of. But after all, she was in love with a pirate.

"Oh _Jack_!" Elizabeth clasped her arms around her pirate's neck as both stumbled into their rooms once again.

"And really bad eggs!" the two-person chorus resounded into the night.

The girl the clasped the bird in her hands at the head of the keel dipped back into Davey Jones' Locker, moonlight washing over its clear eyes and soft mouth.


End file.
